NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Jason Marquis says his decision to re-sign with the Padres as a free agent Monday was based partly on his belief that the Padres will be competitive in 2013.

“The team showed a lot of improvement over the second half of last season,” the right-handed starting pitcher said Monday afternoon after accepting a one-year, $3 million contract from the Padres.

“We started playing good baseball and kept it up for three months at the end of last season,” said Marquis. “Can we do it for six months? The majority of pieces are in place. A lot of young players are gaining in experience. Let’s see what we can do. I’d like to think I’ll be a positive influence.”

“We like keeping Jason for a number of reasons,” said Padres general manager Josh Byrnes after completing one of the first deals of baseball’s annual Winter Meetings.

“In addition to being a solid pitcher, we like how he fits in. There’s a toughness to Jason. He wants to win. Players respect him.”

The 34-year-old Marquis, who became a free agent at the end of the 2012 season, was 6-7 with a 4.04 earned run average in 15 starts with the Padres in 2012. His season ended on Aug. 21 when he was struck by a line drive on his left wrist, fracturing a bone at the base of his left thumb.

“I can pitch, but I can’t catch,” Marquis said after suffering the injury. He spent the last six weeks of the season rehabbing in hopes of making a final start or two.

“I didn’t want a second straight season to end on a line drive hit back at me,” said Marquis, whose 2011 season ended on an Aug. 15 line drive back to the mound that resulted in a fracture to his lower right leg.

Byrnes said the Padres are still looking to add another starting pitcher, although he said the signing of Marquis “adds a little more stability there.”

"We never lost touch with Jason since the end of last season," said Byrnes. "And the market led us back to him as the right player.

“It’s still more likely that another move for a pitcher would be through a trade rather than free agency. Pitching is the focus.”

Marquis made 15 starts for the Padres in 2012. That tied Anthony Bass as the third most for the Padres last season. Clayton Richard made 33 starts and Edinson Volquez made 32. The only other starter with more than 10 starts was left-hander Eric Stults with 14.

All five of those pitchers remain with the Padres.

Other starting pitching candidates next spring currently with the Padres are right-handers Casey Kelly, Andrew Cashner and left-hander Robbie Erlin. Left-hander Cory Luebke, who was developing into being the staff ace before he had elbow reconstruction surgery last spring, is expected to return by late May or next June. Right-hander Joe Wieland could return from "Tommy John" surgery later in the season.

That’s 10 eventual candidates for the rotation who have already been in the Padres major league camp.